1. Field of the Invention
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle access ramp and, more particularly, to a braking system for a vehicle access ramp or lift.
2. Description of Related Art
Ramp assemblies are normally stowed in a generally horizontal position in a recess in a vehicle floor and can be pivoted upward and outward to a downward-sloping deployed position after the vehicle door has been opened, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,545 titled “Flip-Over Ramp”. The ramp assembly includes a mounting enclosure and a ramp, which are pivotally connected at their adjacent edges, which provides a horizontal axis for movement of the ramp between deployed and stowed positions.
In the typical application, the ramp is located in the front door of the vehicle, with a deployment path perpendicular to the length of the vehicle. In the fully stowed position, the ramp is essentially coplanar with the vehicle floor. In the deployed position, the ramp has moved through the front doorway to create a sloped surface between the sidewalk and the vehicle floor. The ramp assembly typically has a powered mode where the ramp is driven by a drive mechanism, and a manual mode where a user can move the ramp between the stowed position and the deployed position, and vice versa. Certain ramp assemblies also provide a damping mechanism to prevent free fall of the ramp when the ramp is positioned between the fully deployed and fully stowed position.